Encounter
by Tanon
Summary: A new and slightly overenthusiastic trainer has an encounter that forces him to reconsider things. Oneshot.


**This is just an idea that popped into my head, and I thought that it wouldn't be too bad of an idea to put it down. I feel like my writing will have gotten worse over the long period of time that I haven't been writing, so I hope you'll bear with me. I've rated it K+, but the content in here should be K, with possibly one possibly slightly distressing reference to K readers. Definitely not as dark as my other one-shot, which I am no longer a fan of.  
**

* * *

It was still mid-afternoon, but Charlie had already nearly finished building his first lean-to shelter, as he wanted to give himself plenty of time for any mistakes he might have made. Stomping down on his last peg before standing back to admire his handiwork, he gave himself a small pat on the back for his efforts. Moving around to the front where his starter was assembling some sticks for a fire, he decided to double-check the area above his shelter for any branches that looked as though they might fall.

He didn't see any branches, but instead saw a bright light streak across his vision, and it was close. Just as his brain had registered what he'd seen, he felt the ground tremble slightly beneath him just before a deafeningly loud _woomph_ nearly blasted his eardrums out.

"Gah!" he gasped as he was knocked to the ground.

As was human nature, curiosity overcame him as to the nature of the streak. Getting off the ground, Charlie walked over to where his starter was on the ground (she had also been knocked over from the impact) and picked her up.

"Hey buddy, you okay?"

Getting an affirmative, he let her down and whispered "Well, I'm just going to check out that...err...I guess it's a meteor. Shouldn't be too long. Wanna come?"

He received a shake of the head, so he grabbed his backpack before saying a quick goodbye. "Okay then. I shouldn't be too long." His starter gave him a patronising look. "Oh, I've already said that, haven't I? Eh heh..."

Charlie was never that amazing with goodbyes.

* * *

It was a bit more of a walk to the crash site than Charlie had expected, and he couldn't help but wonder if his starter would begin worrying about his whereabouts before he returned. Nevertheless, if he wanted any chance of getting back before dusk, it was too late to go back and she didn't seem too worried that he'd get himself into any strife.

Upon reaching the crash site, it quickly dawned upon Charlie that the meteor was actually quite small, as the crater only measured a few metres across. However, upon closing with the crater, Charlie noticed something else that forced him to reconsider approaching any further.

There was a...something in the crater. It definitely wasn't human, so Charlie quickly pulled his backpack off his shoulders and pulled out his pokedex, eager to make the tenth addition to his index of encountered pokemon. Charlie liked neat numbers, and ten was a neat number. Unfortunately, the pokedex didn't quite agree with his idea:

_'Error: Unidentified Species -_

_Initializing vital scan..._

_New species identified:  
Note: This pokemon has been sighted less than 100 times, so data may not be entirely accurate. (Sightings: 1)  
__Gender: Genderless/Unknown  
__Height: 1.74m  
__Weight: 65.4m  
__Types: Suspected: Psychic; possible: Flying and/or Dark  
__Ability: Similar, if not identical to: Pressure'  
__Enter name for species: _'_

Even though most of the smoke from the impact had cleared, Charlie couldn't see the pokemon (if that was what it was, but the pokedex seemed to think so) very clearly, but it seemed to have a mostly red humanoid body and a blue face. Judging from the position it was lying in, it looked like it was in pain (and what wouldn't after crashing into the ground at such a speed?), a fact which emboldened Charlie to cautiously tiptoe towards the being. As he got closer, he saw that it had mostly blue arms and small slits of blue on its thighs. Realising that the pokemon was, in fact, seriously hurt, prompted Charlie to kneel down next to the pokemon and attempt medical treatment.

Charlie had briefly entertained the thought of catching the pokemon, but quickly dismissed it; it looked dangerous and he wasn't sure how it would react to being caught.

Charlie had a somewhat unorthodox approach to medical treatment; he had bought every available type of medicine available to him before he left and held to the philosophy that one of them would be what the pokemon required. After a few minutes of brute forcing a suitable medicine, the pokemon looked as though it was recovering well.

Suddenly, a hand reached out and grabbed Charlie's shoulder. Charlie tried to squirm out of the grip, but he knew that trying to do so was fruitless; the hand that held him was more likely to break his collarbone if he struggled. Charlie cried out in pain just as his mind was engulfed by that of another.

At this point, Charlie realised he was way out of his depth. His life flashed before his eyes.

That is, his life literally flashed before his eyes, and he couldn't work out why it was happeni-

_'Well, that was useful. I have to apologise for invading your mind like that, but I had no idea how your species communicated before viewing your life.'_ As the voice resonated in his head, he felt the iron-hard grip upon his shoulder relax as he slumped to the ground, clutching it in agony.

"What the hell was that?" He yelled.

_'You're looking at it. I'm just using telepathy seeing as I don't have a mouth.'_

"Oh."

_'I must thank you for helping to heal me, and in return, I have a reward to give you.'_

"Oh?" Charlie's interest was piqued. He wasn't going to say no to a present.

_'Yes. In return for potentially saving my life, I will spare your life and that of your immediate family.'_

Not quite what Charlie had been expecting. "Oh."

_'You already know that I don't have a mouth. You see, my kind feed by absorbing the life energy of other living beings, and looking through your memories, humans provide just the right amount required for one session and are relatively easy to subdue.'_

At this point, Charlie was having second thoughts about helping the pokemon out. "But...you can't do that!"

_'Why? It is convenient to me and I have the means to.'_

"But it's just...wrong! You can't!"

_'How can you say that? I need to live, and I won't be killing the humans I feed off. They would be reduced to a more vegetative-like existence and spend the rest of their lives happy and free from pain.'_

Charlie was shocked by the pokemon's response. How could anyone be so barbaric? "What? But nobody would want to spend their lives like that? What about their friends and their loved ones?"

_'Those friends and loved ones should be happy that the one they love is happy and will be for the rest of their life.'_

Charlie knew that what the pokemon was saying was simply wrong, but he couldn't explain why. He tried another argument. "You can't keep it up forever! You might get through a few people, but eventually you'll become a big enough problem to make other people come after you!"

_'What do you think they'll do?'_

Charlie didn't expect that. He expected another argument, but it was almost like the pokemon agreed with him. "What? Errr...they'd probably catch you!"

_'I would rather think not. How would they keep me alive? Regardless, I would be too much of a danger.'_

"Well, okay, but why are you agreeing with me?"

_'I am agreeing with you because everything I have told you has been a lie, a theoretical situation, which I needed you to genuinely consider for what I say next to make sense. My gift to you is not the safety of your family, but a warning.'_

This didn't sound much better. "A warning?"

_'You're a nice boy, although not the brightest; I could tell from your memories. However, when viewing them, I've noticed that there is something wrong with this world'_

"Wrong?"

_'Yes, in essence. If you compare the previous fiction I just gave you to the current situation the world is in, parallels can be drawn between me and humans, and you and pokemon.'_

"They can?"

_'Well, what do you think humans do every time they capture a pokemon?'_

"They use a pokeball an-"

_'No, not that. What does it do to the pokemon itself, and more importantly, to everyone else who knew the pokemon?'_

"They..." Charlie was at a loss for words.

_'They lose someone they used to know and will most likely never see them again.'_

"But training is a good thing! It makes pokemon stronger and most trainer's pokemon I see are happy."

_'Just like what I hypothetically said I was going to do to other humans. They spend the rest of their lives free of worry and in a state of bliss, and yet you seemed extremely opposed to that argument.'_

"But how do you know that they'll spend the rest of their lives happy?"

_'Irrelevant, since it is just a hypothetical situation. Regardless, how do you know that the pokemon you see are happy? They just pass by you in the blink of an eye. How many pokemon have you actually sat down with and asked, "Are you happy with your current life?" None.'_

"Yeah, but in your fiction, you force them into being happy."

_'What difference does that make to the person?'_

Charlie hesitated for a moment, considering the question from another perspective. "Not...not much. But everyone else would know, and they would be angry at you for doing so!" he replied in triumph.

_'Would that not be the viewpoint of the families from which trainers rip pokemon out of? In essence, a kidnapping.'_

Silence reigned in the clearing for several seconds.

_'Do you not see the similarities in the arguments you've posted compared to the ones I gave you when you thought I was a life-sucking parasite?_

"Y-yes...sorta."

_'Mark my words. Over the past few decades, pokeball manufacture has drastically increased, and with that, capture rates have skyrocketed. Don't you remember that trainer documentary you watched a few months ago? The population of trainer pokemon has increased tenfold over the past decade, and with that, I'm willing to bet a lot more wild pokemon are angry with the capture of someone they loved compared to a decade ago. Hate takes several generations to brew, and in your lifetime, there will be a breaking point.'_

"A-a breaking point?"

'Yes. I can feel it even in this forest as we speak. Discontent is among us, and discontent often, when left alone, leads to anger and hate. There will be a revolution, and it will happen in the next 20 years.'

Charlie was left speechless. "Are things really that bad?"

_'Yes. 20 years is a conservative estimate. Animosity would have started building once pokeballs were invente-' _This time, Charlie interrupted the pokemon's telepathic speech.

"But apricorns have been around for 500 yea- a long time!"

_'Apricorns are rare. When was the first artificial pokeball made?'_

"Around a hundred years ago?"

_'A period of time that is shorter, far shorter than the lifespans of several pokemon.'_

"Can't we do anything to stop it? Can't you do anything?" Panic was beginning to build within Charlie as he started to comprehend the gravity of the situation.

_'I do not care for the affairs of this planet. Maybe, given time, I might, but when the revolution comes, I will be entirely neutral. I only warn you of this because you saved my life, and I wish to repay the favour. You wish to be a great trainer, no?'_

"Yeah! Although now...I'm not so sure."

_'Then get yourself a team of pokemon like any other trainer would, but don't use pokeballs. The mere presence of a pokeball is a subconscious leash that would hinder any relationship between a trainer and his or her pokemon. Maybe, when the time comes, your relationship with your pokemon is strong enough that it will not break, and then, you might be able to survive. If your pokemon can convince any others you meet that you did not split families and kidnap - for that is how many see the loss of their loved ones - pokemon with the pokeball, they might let you live. It would be a lot harder to get a team, and you may only end up with 2 or 3 pokemon, but the relationship will be genuine, and that is what counts.'_

"Couldn't you tell more people?"

_'I do not wish to, and I do not doubt that many would want to capture me like another pokemon. That is not something I have in mind. Regardless, many would not listen to my arguments like you have. There is a chance others might follow in your example, but one person rarely changes the world, and the only way to stop the inevitable is if the production of pokeballs is completely stopped. Also, this is all conjecture, since I cannot foretell the future. However, I have seldom been wrong.'_

'So maybe if you talke-"

_'I will** not** interfere!' _Charlie gave a yelp as a slight throbbing made itself known with the pokemon's statement._ 'Do what you want, but this is my warning to you, and this fight is one that you humans will not win. I must go now, and remember that I am forever grateful for what you have done tonight. We will most likely never meet again, and so I wish you the best of luck. You'll need it.' The pokemon rose off the ground, nodded at Charlie once, and began to leave._

Charlie was dumbfounded. It was a lot to absorb, and his mind was whirling as he moved to put his pokedex back into his backpack. As he did, he noticed the last line on the dialog of his pokedex.

_'Enter name of species:_'_

"Wait!" He yelled out. The strange pokemon stopped and turned around. "What's your name? I never asked."

_'It would be Deoxys.'_ As Deoxys made to leave once again, Charlie shouted out once more.

"Deoxys!"

_'Yes?'_

"I just want to say...thanks, I guess."

_'You are welcome. I bid you farewell, Charlie, and hope your shoulder is merely bruised.' _With that, Deoxys swiftly departed.

Then again, Charlie had never been good at goodbyes.

* * *

Charlie was still slightly dazed by the time he made his way back to his camp site in the fading light, and was immediately pounced upon by his starter.

"Hey! Stop that," He laughed, "I'm sorry I was away for so long, but I really have to do something right now."

His starter gave him a quizzical look.

"That meteor wasn't just a meteor. There was a...a pokemon inside it, and we talked for a while, which is why I took so long. He- She- It said some things that made me think, and I've decided to break your pokeball and throw away all my other ones. I hope you'll stay, but you can leave if you want to. If you stay, I still want to do the gym challenge, but just without pokeballs. It'll be harder, but... but I think it's for the best."

Without looking at his starter, he fished his starter's pokeball out of his backpack and placed it on the ground.

"It's your decision...your life is your own, not mine. If you're not happy with what things are like now...then..."

Charlie stomped on the pokeball and winced slightly at the cracking noise it made.

_'I hope she doesn't leave'_, he thought, _'because I'm not very good at goodbyes._'

* * *

**And there we go. To be fair, the topic that this mostly focuses on is a problem I have with this universe in general, and why I find it hard to enjoy a lot of stories. As for the one-shot itself...I'm really not too happy with it. I feel like it should be a lot more emotional, but I write with the personality of a brick. It's frustrating, knowing what you want to do without the capability of doing so, but it's all I can do. Hopefully it's not too bad and was slightly enjoyable. If you have any ideas, I'd be happy to hear them. If you hated the story, I'd be happy to hear why. If you just don't like deoxys...well...I dunno. I don't like deoxys, but the story originally started off as some sort of E.T. rip-off or something weird, and it was never going to get written until I decided to change it up a lot, but I kept the same pokemon, since it seems to work the best.**

**As an added note, if you wondered why I didn't specify Charlie's starter or the region he was in, it was because I decided that such information was irrelevant.**

**As for my main fic, it's still not abandoned, but the amount of thought and time needed to go into making another chapter of that is a lot more than the amount required to write a short one-shot like this. I'll start the next chapter on Nov 7th.**

**Finally, that proofreading tool is a nifty last defence against stylistic and spelling errors, and while a lot of the green and blue lines can be ignored, they still provide some food for thought.**


End file.
